Safety For Preschoolers

Preschoolers are adventurous by nature, they love to explore, play, run and climb. Child safety is the number one goal for any teacher or parent.  Preschoolers are vulnerable to certain hazards that can be avoided, the five most potentially hazard situations for a preschooler are:

·         Choking

·         Poisoning

·         Falls

·         Drowning

·         Violence

In order to avoid these hazardous situations teachers and parents must be aware of the child’s surrounding and what conditions they are exposed to. Simple steps can be taken in and outside of the home or classroom to keep children safe at all times. The table below shows the common hazardous situations and precautions that can be taken to avoid the safety threat.

Safety Hazard :	Precautions:
Choking	Remove small objects, if it can fit through a toilet paper roll it can choke a child.
Poisoning	Use child proofing mechanisms to lock cabinets and drawers that contain surface cleaners, medications, insect repellant and other potentially hazardous items that can poison a child. Explain to children what they can eat and what they shouldn’t eat.
Falls	Use gates on stairways and lock doors that lead to stairs. Cover sharp corners in areas that children play the most.
Drowning	Always supervise children around any body of water inside or outside of the home, Never leave children alone in the bath tub, pool or any other body of water.  Teach water safety.
Violence	Teach children that hitting is hurting. Teach them about law enforcement and that they are there to help. Teach them how to contact authorities to report accidents and crime.

“If a child’s home environment is safe and secure, the child trusts that the teacher’s is also” (Robertson, 2010 p. 58.).

Not only do we have to teach ourselves and children about safety but we also have to teach parents the importance of safety practices. Talking with parents about what they can do at home to ensure child safety is important in order to protect the child from risks. Parents need to be aware of the surroundings in which the child is playing, exploring and developing in. If the child is growing up in an environment that is not safe, they won’t feel safe anywhere else they go. Using safety locks, removing small objects, gating stairs and knowing what conditions the child is exposed to, will keep the child safe from injuries.

           

References:

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education 4th addition. Belmont, CA: WadsWorth.

Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters for Early Childhood development facilities in Kansas

A Natural disaster in Kansas such as a tornado is very common for this state; every year towns are leveled due to tornado's during the spring and summer months. The best thing is to be prepared and know your emergency plan if there is a Warning issued in the county the Facility is located.  Also knowing what counties are surrounding the county in which the facility is located is good knowledge to allow extra time in order to seek shelter and get the children there in time.

       Having a weather radio on site that is set for your county and surrounding counties is the best and fastest way to be alerted to dangerous storms and tornado warnings, knowing your facilities tornado plan and having it posted in each classroom and throughout the building is required by the State of Kansas.  Knowing where to go when there is a tornado warning and practicing monthly tornado drills is also required by the state of Kansas.  Creating a plan is easy; know where to go in your building that is structurally sound and safe, if the facility has a basement it’s best to go there.  Line the children up and walk them calmly to the safe destination and wait until the warning has expired, if a tornado does in fact hit, wait to leave the area until the tornado is gone, use a cell phone to contact authorities and let them know where you are located so that they are able to help.  Once everyone is out and accounted for begin to contact parents.  Become familiar with what to do if you are in fact in a tornado warning and what precautions should be taken by visiting: http://www.fema.gov/hazard/tornado/to_during.shtm

Be sure that parents are aware of the tornado plan and what they can expect in the event of this emergency. Keep first aid kits, blankets, flash lights/lanterns and water in the safety area in case you are not able to leave right after the tornado passes. Be sure to stay calm and talk to the children about what is happening to try and keep the stress level down during the emergency.  

 

A human-generated disaster that could be encountered in an early childhood setting could be an accidental shooting.  A child could very well be unaware of the danger associated with guns and if parents are not locking their guns away a child could very easily place a hand held gun in their back pack to take for show and tell and could hurt or kill a fellow classmate or teacher. "As many as 80 percent of children whose families had guns knew where those guns were by the time they were in first or second grade" (Robertson, 2010. p. 113).
 Being aware of gun safety is not only important but a must to gun owners and expressing concern for gun control is something that teachers of early childhood age may not think of. Doing a daily back pack check and talking with children about the danger of guns,  especially in high crime areas where guns are more attainable, can decrease the chances of something happening.  If a shooting does occur, immediately contact authorities and parents of the students at the facility.


References:
Robertson, c. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education 4th addition. Belmont, CA: WadsWorth.

CPR & Choking Emergencies

One of my worst fears is having to perform CPR on a child, or a child having a choking emergency, something that could have been prevented. Children are curious by nature and can easily place items, toys, bugs and more into their mouths just to see what it taste like. Most of these objects, including food, are common objects that children choke on every day, and without the proper reaction to the child’s emergency, the child could die. Knowing how to respond to such an emergency is extremely important in the Early Childhood field.

            To explain the proper way to react to a choking situation, let me create a scenario. A 2 year old child in a daycare setting has found a lid to a glue stick that had rolled away from the craft table; she curiously puts it in her mouth and after a few seconds begins to choke on it. The Teacher notices right away. How should she react?

            The teacher should remain calm, and act immediately to the choking child. If the cap is in fact lodged into her throat, the teacher should perform the Heimlich maneuver, to get the cap out of the child’s throat.  Once the child has the cap removed, take them to an area where they can calm down, and contact the child’s parents about the emergency. How do you perform the Heimlich maneuver? According to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburg’s Website;

To perform the Heimlich maneuver on children over 1 year old:

1. Remain calm.
2. Stand or kneel behind a child who is conscious.
3. Make a fist with one hand.
4. Place the thumb side of the fist right above the belly button, and well below the bottom of the breastbone.
5. Cover the fist with your other hand.
6. Deliver five upward and inward thrusts into the child’s abdomen. The thrusts should quickly squeeze in the abdomen to help the child “cough out” the obstruction.
7. Check the child after every five thrusts.
8. Continue the abdominal thrusts until the object comes out or the child becomes unconscious.
9. If the child becomes unconscious, call for emergency medical services.

See website here: http://www.chp.edu/CHP/Heimlich+Maneuver 

The best way to prevent a child from choking is to make sure there is nothing in their reach that they can choke on. A rule of thumb is, if it can fit through a toilet paper roll a child can choke on it. Object this small should be removed from the area in which small children are playing, or will be in for periods of time. Food should be cut into small pieces that can be swallowed without blocking the wind pipe. Hotdogs are a food that should be cut and children should be supervised when eating, this is the most common food that children can and have choked on. 

In our next situation we will talk about a situation where a child has stopped breathing. A 4 year old boy is found by his teacher, in a preschool setting unconscious and not breathing. What should you do? The Teacher needs to stay calm and not panic, Inform another teacher or assistant in the classroom to call 911. Check the child for a pulse and then check the child’s airway to see if anything is blocking the airway. If there is nothing in the way the teacher needs to perform CPR on the Child until an Ambulance and Paramedics arrive or the child starts breathing. If there is something in the airway the teacher needs to try and remove the object and continue CPR. (WebMD.com, 2011)  

Check for responsiveness. Shake or tap the child gently. See if the child moves or makes a noise. Shout, "Are you OK?"

If there is no response, shout for help. Send someone to call 911 and retrieve an AED (if available). Do not leave the child alone to call 911 and retrieve an AED until you have performed CPR for about 2 minutes.

Carefully place the child on his or her back. If there is a chance the child has a spinal injury, two people should move the child to prevent the head and neck from twisting.

Open the airway. Lift up the chin with one hand. At the same time, tilt the head by pushing down on the forehead with the other hand.

Look, listen, and feel for breathing. Place your ear close to the child's mouth and nose. Watch for chest movement. Feel for breath on your cheek.

If the child is not breathing:

• Cover the child's mouth tightly with your mouth.
• Pinch the nose closed.
• Keep the chin lifted and head tilted.
• Give 2 rescue breaths. Each breath should take about a second and make the chest rise.

Perform chest compressions:

• Place the heel of one hand on the breastbone -- just below the nipples. Make sure your heel is not at the very end of the breastbone.
• Keep your other hand on the child's forehead, keeping the head tilted back.
• Press down on the child's chest so that it compresses about 1/3 to 1/2 the depth of the chest.
• Give 30 chest compressions. Each time, let the chest rise completely. These compressions should be FAST and hard with no pausing. Count the 30 compressions quickly: "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30, off."

Read more: http://www.righthealth.com/topic/CPR_-_child_(1-8_years)/overview/adam20_s#ixzz1Rkftvn5u

Once the situation is handled the Teacher or School Director should immediately contact the child’s parents and let them know what happened and where they need to go in order to be with their child. Most of the time in either situation the school will complete an incident report. The incident reports are good for looking back over the situation and ways that the situation can be avoided or the responses to the situation could differ. 

Any person that is in the Early Childhood field should take preparedness courses for these situations, these classes can save lives. “Every Teacher should be able to recognize the symptoms and be able to perform rescue breathing” (Robertson, 2010. P. 180). Most hospitals, some health departments and Red Crosses offer classes in CPR and First Aid. It should be required of every person employed by a facility in the early childhood field to be certified and up to date in these courses. If there ever is an emergency that requires CPR, Heimlich maneuver or breathing emergency the teachers and staff know just how to handle the situation and have a positive outcome. However, being prepared and knowing how to avoid the situation with proper planning and constant observation a teacher may never have to use her certification!

References:

Children's Hospital of Pittsburg. (2008, Feburary 10). The Heimlich maneuver. Retrieved from http://www.chp.edu/CHP/Heimlich+Maneuver

Right Health. (2009, July 8). Cpr guide. Retrieved from http://www.righthealth.com/topic/CPR_-_child_%281-8_years%29/overview/adam20_s#ixzz1Rkftvn5u

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education 4th addition. Belmont, CA: WadsWorth.


WebMD, Initials. (2010, April 20). Choking rescue procedure. Retrieved from http://firstaid.webmd.com/tc/choking-rescue-procedure-heimlich-maneuver-person-faints

Healthy Food and Nutrition

Proper nutrition for infants, toddlers and preschoolers is important for their health, their growth and their development. For infants, breastfeeding is best, it allows them nutrients and immunities that formula cannot provide. At 4 months old babies move to cereals and a couple months later then vegetables and fruits along with juice is added to their diets. “Infancy is a critical time for forming healthy patterns to meet the nutritional needs of a child” (Robertson, 2010. p. 305).  Making sure that babies are getting the right amounts of food and the right types of food is very important to their health and development. By age one, babies are eating food just like their parents, here is a crucial time to continue them on the path that was started with their fruits and vegetables. Feeding them junk foods all the time will make them sick and their bodies weak. Allow the child to try new foods by using a food processor to make it a consistency that a baby can eat.

As the child grows they are able to voice their opinions about food. A toddler’s diet should include fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and dairy with a small amount of oils and fats.  Being sure that they are eating healthy snacks such as fruits or veggies, and have balanced meals will assure that their bodies are receiving minerals and nutrients that they need to continue growing. However, at this age children have realized that they have an opinion and a voice; here is when the resistance of eating certain foods arises. A lot of times children at this age refuse to eat, and it’s a hard time for parents too. When handling a picky toddler, you have to remember to not use food as a weapon. Give the child options of which fruit or vegetable they want to eat at that meal time, allowing them some choice in the process gives them some say in what they eat.  “When children are allowed some control over their feeding practices, fewer issues of contention arise” (Robertson, 2010. p. 307). 

Continuing preschoolers on a healthy food path allows their body to retain vitamins and minerals their bodies need in order to function and fight off illnesses. Preschoolers are a lot easier to prepare food for, by this age they know what they like and so do the parents. Preschoolers are also more adventurous and like trying new things, but also allow those around them influence their choices. It’s important for adults to keep their personal preferences about food to themselves. I know that if I say that I don’t like a certain food, then my child will not try it. We have a motto in our house “Try it, you might like it” my preschool aged daughters say this out loud every time they are offered a food that looks questionable to them. All I ask is that they try one bite and if they don’t like it they don’t have to have it again. Most of the time it is something that they enjoy. “Encouraging a child to be involved in food selection, preparation and mealtime activities will give the child the confidence to make better choices” (Robertson, 2010. p. 316).

Parents and teachers need to be role models for healthy eating habits if children see the adults around them eating healthy then they will follow in their footsteps. Also preparing meals a head of time and shopping with those meals in mind will allow for healthy foods to be on hand in the home. Getting children involved in the preparation of meals and allowing them to make fun, healthy snacks will make them more acceptable to trying new healthy foods without hesitation.

Here are some of my favorite kid friendly recipes:

Sleepy Bear Pancakes

what you need

3 cups prepared pancake batter

60   TEDDY GRAHAMS Graham Snacks, any flavor

3 cups cut-up assorted fresh fruit (strawberries, bananas, blueberries)

  Powdered sugar or pancake syrup (optional)

make it

SPOON prepared pancake batter by 1/4-cupfuls onto lightly greased griddle or large skillet. Lightly press 5 bears into surface of each pancake.

COOK 1 to 2 minutes; turn and cook until golden brown. Repeat using remaining batter and graham snacks.

TOP each pancake with 1/4 cup fruit. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

SUBSTITUTE

Substitute strawberry preserves for pancake syrup.

Nutritional Value:

Good source of calcium

Good source of vitamin A or C

Diet Exchange

1 Starch + 1 Fruit + 1 Fat

Nutrition Bonus

These pancakes are fun for kids of all ages. You'll also like the fact that the pancakes contribute calcium and the fruit supplies vitamin C. (Kraftrecipies.com, 2011)

Yummy Yogurt Parfait

1 c Vanilla yogurt

1 c granola

Mix of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and bananas

Allow kids to pour in fruit and granola into a bowl and add 1 cup of vanilla yogurt, Have them mix it up then enjoy eating it. Fast and nutritious snack!

This offers tons of vitamins and minerals that are found in the berries and bananas that a good for our bodies. Also offers a serving of gains and dairy!

Make your own Bagel Pizza!!

Ingredients

·         2 plain bagels, split

·         1/2 cup pizza sauce

·         20 slices pepperoni

·         3/4 cup diced fully cooked ham

·         1/4 cup real bacon bits

·         1/4 cup chopped green pepper

·         1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

·         Any other pizza toppings you love

Directions

1.      Place bagels on a baking sheet. Spread with pizza sauce. Arrange five slices of pepperoni on each, covering the bagel hole with one slice. Top each with ham, bacon, green pepper and cheese ect. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*This recipie is a great way to get children involved in the kitchen. Allow them to make their own pizza’s. Help them spread the sauce then allow them to place their own toppings on the pizza.  They can even make faces using the pizza topping to make them even more pleasing!

Nutrition values:

This meal hits all the food groups depending what toppings you add. Just a basic cheese pizza offers servings from the dairy, vegetable, and grain groups.

References:

Allrecipies.com, Initials. (2010). Supreme bagel pizza. Retrieved from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/supreme-bagel-pizzas/detail.aspx

Kraft.com . (2011). Sleepy bear pancakes. Retrieved from http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/sleepy-bear-pancakes-53895.aspx

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education 4th addition. Belmont, CA: WadsWorth.

Physical Activity for Preschoolers

Being physically active is more than exercising and playing sports. For children it is a time to work on physical development skills and a time to have fun. When I think of physical activity I think of getting on a treadmill or popping in a workout dvd, and the annoyance that the whole process in its self is, however for children it shouldn’t be about the “exercise” and more about the fun and importance for their bodies and their development.

            So why is physical activity important for preschool aged children?

·         Children build their locomotor skills by running, jumping, skipping, or any movement that allows them to get from one place to another.

·         Children build their manipulative skills by throwing, kicking and catching a ball, swinging a bat or playing basketball.

·         It helps their bodies expend extra calories to keep them in their healthy weight zone, which will decrease their chances for obesity.

·         Allows children to burn off extra energy.

·         It can also be a time for parents/teacher and children to have fun together and become closer.

Learning mastery skills such as locomotor and manipulative skills are important for children; they are not skills that they learn on their own. These skills are used for a life time in their everyday activities, sports, games and any physical activity. Being able to master these skills will allow them to function normally. If a child does not learn these skills early on, they will start school in kindergarten with developmental delays. “However, as with many other skills, young children must learn and practice these skills until they can proficiently participate in a variety ofgames and sports”(Goodway, & Robinson, 2006).

            When children do not participate in physical activity their bodies are not able to burn up the extra calories that their foods provide, thus storing them as fat. Childhood obesity is on the rise and many children that suffer from childhood obesity are more at risk for health issues later in their adult lives. Children that are overweight or obese struggle with their self-image and self-esteem. “Mentally and emotionally, obesity lowers self-esteem and has a powerful affect on peer relationships and social acceptance” (Robertson, 2010. p. 262).

            Parents of children that are overweight or obese can make small changes in their lives to obtain a healthy weight. Portion control is a small change that can make a big difference. Offering a child the right amounts of foods that are less healthy and more foods that are healthy can have a huge difference in their caloric input. Supervising and limiting T.V, computer and game time and offering more physical activity will help their children burn off the extra calories their children consume.

            There are numerous ways to engage in physical activity. For children if an activity is fun they are more likely to stick with it, also if their parents or caregiver is involved in the activity it gives them time together while being active and having fun with one another. Adults can plan games outside that include physical activity, they can dance, run, create obstacle courses and more to get their children up and moving.

            My favorite activities to do with my preschool aged children are playing tag or hide-n-seek and dancing! Both of these activities offer them physical activity while working on their locomotor skills. Being able to run and chase one another or find each other hiding is a lot of fun. My daughters think it is so funny to chase one another and tag each other. When we play hide-n-seek they can barely contain their laughter as they hide! When our days seem long, or it’s raining outside I turn on some music and we dance, we dance fast and we dance silly, but it is so much fun for them. When children are having fun they don’t realize that they are doing something good for their bodies! My husband likes to come home and teach them to play soccer. Children love kicking and throwing balls, this also allows them to work on manipulative skills too. Playing a game of soccer is physically active, and also works on both sets of skills at once! 

           

            The MyPyramid food guidance for Americans has a component for physical activity and food intake that shows you how to balance each other out.  It encourages physical activity for all ages and physical activity levels. “It recommends that children be physically active for 60 minutes a day on most days” (Robertson, 2010. p. 265).  Most people think that this means 60 consecutive minutes, but most children do not have the attention span or activity level to be physically active or play for 60 consecutive minutes. This time can be split up into 20 minute increments throughout the day. So you could plan 3 physical activates for children to do through the day. Having breaks of physical activity is good for kids, it helps them get the activity they need and also lets them get the jitters out so that they can focus on more sedentary activities in the classroom. 

            My philosophy on physical activity is simple, physical activity is important for everyone, but for children their development depends on it. Get outside and play with your kids, take them on a walk, play kickball or just dance, but whatever the activity or activities are make sure they are getting at least 60 minutes a day and make it FUN!!

References:

Goodway, J, & Robinson, L. (2006, May).Skipping toward an active start, promoting physical activity in preschoolers. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education 4th addition. Belmont, CA: WadsWorth.